Nut-lock.



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i www/VVV u RAYD. REED, OF .ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICQJ y NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7,1913.

Application filed .Tune 13, 1912. Serial No. 703,385.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, RAY D.

REED, a citizen of the United States,

residing at Albuquerque, in the county of Bernalillo and State of NewMexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks,of which the vfollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to nut-locks, the

principal object thereof being to provide an `improved means whereby aninterlocking action between the'bolt and the nut thereon will beobtained when the nut is screwed to its seat.

.The invention involves the provision of a unitary split ring or washeradapted to be placed on the bolt between the nut and the part to besecured, so that when the nut is screwed to `its seat the inner edge ofsaid ring will be forced into locking engagement `with the bolt. To thisend I have provided a ring of this description of novel configurationand in combination therewith a nut adapted. to so co-act Lwith said ringas to substantially eliminate all possibility of invention, the nut andlocking ring being disposed upon the boltin position preparatory tobeing set up `and lockedthereupon; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theparts in locked engagement, the bolt in this view being in section; Fig.3 is a view ofthe inner face ofthe nut, andfFig. l is a plan view of thelocking ring.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, a portion of a bolt 1 istherein shown as extending through ka member orplate to be fastenedthereby. The nutfor said bolt has been broadly designated` 3k and isprovided with an annular shoulder yor` abutment 4 set forth in theclaims append-i formed by reoessing the inner face of the nut as at 5.The major part of the:`inner wall 6 of the shoulder is preferablydisposed substantially parallel to the axis of the bolt hole through thenut, but the outer edge of this wall is, in the `preferred form of mydevice, tapered or flared outwardly as shown at 7 A unitary splitlocking ring or washer` '8 preferably of" iiexible resilient material isadapted for j reception into the recess 5, said ring being preferablyv'flat and relatively thin. This ring'has initially formedtherein Iathreadlike portion 9 around the interior surface thereof, which portion`preferably corresponds substantially to a single turn of the thread ofthe bolt. said ring is also preferably slightly less than the greatestdiameter of the flaring portion 7 of the wall 6; while it is ofmaterially greater diameter than the smallest diameter of said flaringportion, orin other words ofthe substantially cylindrical or bodyportionof said wall; while the peripheral wall` of said ring ispreferably substantially parallel to the axis of the threaded boltopening therein. y

The parts are assembledas shown in Fig. l, the ring 8 being turnedvup onthe4 bolt until it engages plateV 2, after which nut 3 is turned or setup thereon-until the flaring portion 7 thereof engages the outer kedgeof the ring. therset up, the frictional engagement between the nut andring will cause the ring to be still further turned up on the bolt untilitis firmly wedged against the plate 2, after which the ring will ceaseto turn.

y' P-hereafter each turn .of the nut progressively constricts the ringby forcing its free ends toward each other until the ring is ofsuiciently small diameter to be received bodily within the recess, whenthe nut may be screwed to its seat; the' parts finally assuming thepositions shown in Fig. 2. This constriction of the ring forces theinner vthreaded edge thereofv intofirm engagement with a thread of thebolt, the outjer peripherypof said ringengaging` the shoulder orabutment and exerting a pressure thereagainst which is normal tosubstantially all points in the contacting surfaces, f By rea- The outerdiameter ofk son, further, of the disposition of the radial lines ofpressure with respect to the axis of the bolt, substantially alltendency for the ring and nut to become inadvertentlyV displaced withrespect to each other, is eliminated. I particularly desire to emphasizethis feature which I believe is distinc-` tively novel; since in nodevice of this character with which I am acquainted is there such aconfiguration of the nut and its locking ring as to cause the latter topress outwardly against the nut surface in such manner t-hat thepressure is normal, at substantially all points of contact, to both ofthe, contacting surfaces, while the lines of pressure are at the sametime perpendicular to the axis of the bolt. As a result of thisdisposition and arrangement of parts there is` no tendency (particularlywhen the device is subjected to vibration) for the nut to be workedloose upon the bolt by a com-i, ponent of the ring const-rictingpressure act-v ing in the direction of the length of the bolt; since nosuch component is developed, all pressure being normal or perpendicularlto the bolt axis. It is to be noted too, that the threads are initiallyformed in the ring; that is to say, these threads are not formed by thepressure of the bolt threads thereagainst which obviously tends todeform the bolt threads,-an undesirable feature existing in cert-aindevices of this character. I am aware, however, that it is old toprovide devices somewhat analogous to that herein described which areadapted to be seated in a cavity in a nut when applied to a bolt; but inall such devices with which I am acquainted it has been the custom toprovide a taper upon the outside of the locking device or ring and acorresponding taper throughout the entire annular wall of the recess inthe nut which receives the same. It is, further, highly desirable thatthe locking ring be driven into engagement with the bolt withouttwisting or otherwise distorting the ring when driving the nut home, thering being in my construction preferably flat initially and remainingso.

In concluson, I desire to state that I am aware of various changes andmodifications which may be made herein within the purview of myinvention, and I hence desire to be limited only by the scope of theappended claims. By way of example, it is obvious that the inner edge ofthe locking ring need not be threaded as herein shown, but for reasonshereinbefore pointed out I prefer to employ a threaded ring.

An additional advantage of the present construction resides in the factthat when the nut is turned loose from the bolt, as by means of awrench, the washer normally remains within the recess in the forward orunder face of the nut, this being due, again,

to the fact that the pressure of the washer against the shoulder on theface of the nut is exerted along radial lines which are substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the bolt. There the lateral wall of therecess in the nut is tapered for the entire depth thereof as in certainknown devices of this character, the instant that the nut is loosenedthere is a .strong tendency for the washer to back out of the recess sothat the construction of the locking ring and nut li'erein describedaffords a plurality of advantages, in that not only does it afford animproved lock, but it lessens the liklihood of losing the washer whenthe nut and washer have been removed from the bolt; and it furtherpermits of the simultaneous freeing of the bolt from both its nut andlock washer, when desired. The washer can thereafter, of course, bereadily pried out of its nut preparatory to reapplying Athese parts tothe bolt.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A nut lock comprising a nut having in one face thereof a recess ofgreater diameter than the threaded bolt hole in said nut, said recesshaving the lateral wall thereof substantially parallel to the axis ofsaid bolt hole, and a unitary split locking ring the diameter of whichis larger initially than the diameter of the portion of the wall of saidrecess which engages therewith, Asaid ring having a thread initiallyprovided upon its interior edge which is adapted to conform closely tothe thread of the bolt to which it is to be applied, the peripheralsurface of said ring, when in its locking position in said recess beingadapted to press outwardly against the said lateral wall of said recess,the pressure being normal to both the contacting surface of said lateralwall and the surface of said ring which is in engagement with said wall,said pressure being exerted in radial lines which are substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the bolt, whereby to substantiallyeliminate all tendency for said ring and nut to become inadvertentlydisplaced with respect to each other.

2. A nut lock comprising a nut having in one face thereof a recess ofgreater diameter than the threaded bolt hole in said nut, said recesshaving the lateral wall thereof substantially parallel to the axis ofsaid bolt hole, and a unitary split locking ring the diameter of whichis larger initially than the diameter of the wall of said recess whichengages therewith, the peripheral surface of said ring, when in itslocking position in said recess, being adapted to press outwardlyagainst the lateral wall of said recess, the pressure being normal toboth the contacting surface of said lateral wall and the surface of saidring which is in engagement with said wall, said pressure In witnesswhereof, I subscribe my signabeing exerted in radial lines which aresubture, in the presence of two witnesses. stantially perpendicular tothe axis of the bolt, whereby to substantially eliminate all RAY D REED'tendency for said ring and nut to become Witnesses:

inadvertently displaced with respect to each THOMAS ANDERSON,

other. H. B. RAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

